


It’s All Ruined!

by Hollow_Vessel



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Aliens, Blood, Gen, Injury, Pain, i had a random idea, injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21658297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollow_Vessel/pseuds/Hollow_Vessel
Summary: “Why couldn’t you just go along with it?”“Eh?”“Why didn’t you just let the Tallest kill you?! Then I wouldn’t be in this mess!”“Because I am ZIM! And nobody kills ZIM!!!”- Aka a fic about Zim ruining Tenn’s life, and how she ruins his back. -
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Raspy breaths were pressed through gritted, zipper looking teeth. The air here was thin. And while Irkens could adapt to almost any climate, this was extreme. Nothing, of course, to a top ranking invader. Not the thinness of the air nor the chill it blasted her with would be any threat to Tenn. This was smeet’s play. Easy. 

She kept her breathing low and controlled, despite being able to taste the scent of her own sickly sweet, metallic blood.  
Tenn set a goal in her mind, she intended to achieve it, even if it seemed as petty as keeping herself more composed than the Irken trudging in front of her makeshift spear. It was motivation enough, proving that this failure wasn’t above her because of his tendency towards destruction like no other. 

Zim. Yes, who wouldn’t know that name.  
Tenn grimaced as she trekked on through the mountainous terrain, dragging her feet every few steps as she kicked aside pebbles. It was something to ground herself with, to ignore the searing, writhing pain in her guts. A deep, diagonal slash was visible, staining their standard issue invader gear a deeper pink.

The scent of it stung, making her antennae twitch slightly.  
Support from her PAK was on the low thanks to a certain someone.  
  
“Quickly, please...” Tenn said, pressing out a strained breath.  
“Once it’s day we have to lie low.” She said with some urgency.

“Pfft. I don’t understand why you’re in such a rush to abandon your MISSION.” 

The unruly one hissed in a teasing voice. Though he was overzealous and poking at the wounded invader; it was still evident from his mannerisms that he wasn’t faring too well either. The way he stuck his tongue out as he spoke, the rush of steps and the quick panting breaths he made. The way his antennae were slicked against the back of his head in discomfort alone.

Though Tenn was in a more serious state, it did offer some comfort how he squirmed when she nudged him with the sharp stick she bore.  
“I am not... Abandoning anything. You’re the one who...” Tenn sucked in a larger breath before giving up on communicating with her charge. It was no use, there was no point. They had to get to safety. To her ship. But, it was so far away.

Her gaze drifted up to the gradually brightening sky. It was a hue of dark blue, though it was fading into the morning colors of acid green and pastel pink. It was an odd combination, oddly SICKENING.  
Without the cover of nightfall to protect their backs, and with the blood in the air thanks to someone, there was no way Hey could continue. They would have to wait, for however long it took.

“Ehhh? Zim has done nothing! NOTHING!!!” His voice elevated to a bellow, the only sound for surely what must have been miles.  
“SHHH!!!” Tenn interrupted him, brow furrowing. It was all she could do to keep him walking. She wished that Zim would shut his trap. It would make the journey a lot easier on her at least.

Tenn became sharply aware of how limited their time was. The air was steadily growing warmer, a sign that they should hurry up. Her gaze quickly flitted to their surroundings. Though her decisions were dragged slightly down by her current condition, she felt that she would still be more rational, and the one to call the shots.

She strained to find something, somewhere they could... Tenn’s antennae twitched, veering off to the left. THERE! A.... Drip of liquid. Dangerous liquid, she knew, but that meant that there had to be a shelter of some sort nearby. A cavern was the most likely source of the sound. There were no surface springs, and the sound had echoed oddly.

Tenn staggered forwards and hissed to Zim something soft, but a clear command. He begrudgingly complied and stopped walking, anguish clear in his expression.  
His antennae twitched as he himself accessed the situation, in his own Zimmy way.

Tenn wasn’t sure what went through that one’s mind, if anything at all, but it couldn’t be good.

Gathering her willpower, she prepared herself, before giving a small direction.  
“Cave to the left. Behind the rocks... Go, go now.” Maybe it wasn’t a small request but the urgency her tone held, and the authority her voice seemed to give urged Zim to comply. He scowled at this. Stupid PAK programming...

Tenn gave a relieved sigh as Zim found the cave she had heard. With one last glance at the now early-morning lit sky, she clambered down into the cave.

Instantly she was submerged in air as cold as the night before, causing the invader to suppress a shudder.

“Why here!? ARE YO- you insane?!” Zim screeched, but upon hearing his loud echo, shifted into a dangerously low hiss.  
It only took the more competent Irken a second to figure out what Zim was raving about. Echoing into the cavern was the intimidating sound of... Flowing water. Sickly, contaminated water. Unsafe for consumption...  
Tenn sighed.

“Quiet down...” Was all she had the energy for, voice wavering. It had before but now it sounded like the pain was getting to them, after all these hours.

Zim’s antennae twitched to the sound of her voice, pivoting in her direction.

With a scowl he grabbed the offending sensory extremities, giving them what must have been a painful tug downwards.

Tenn watched for only a moment before staggering to her feet and slowly walking deeper into the cave, though with an odd gait as she had ditched the stick, and was instead clutching at her wound with one hand, and pressing the other against the wall with quite some force. 

Maybe she was insane. She sat beside the water and fell against a large rock. Though the lighting was low, she could make out enough if her surroundings.

Zim wasn’t sure what she was doing. She had gone in the direction where the loud and painful water was.  
He didn’t question it. If she wanted to drown, then she could. Zim didn’t care. He could leave on his own if she did, steal her ship like he was planning on in the first place and go to his Tallest. The thought brought a grin to his mouth, though it was twisted with what must have been evil. Something in his code screamed that he couldn’t ditch an invader. The rest of him said that he was SUPERIOR and that... that TENN didn’t deserve to be an invader if she couldn’t save herself.

“Bwah... hehehwhaha...” He laughed quietly to himself as he plotted it in his mind. Once nightfall was upon them, he would make a run for it. 

His lovely thoughts were interrupted by a loud, strained hiss coming from deeper into the cavern. Tenn.

Zim scowled. Insane. Unfit to be an invader.

But, curiosity had its way in the end and he looked.

Tenn had a shakiness to her as she scooped up handfuls if water and dumped them into their open wound.  
Zim’s antennae shot straight up for a moment before flattening on his head. Just the THOUGHT of that action made his nonexistent wounds hurt.  
He was just as confused as he was horrified.

“W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” His voice squeaked halfway through, but he couldn’t help it, the sight was unnatural and horrifying.

Tenn was trembling and pulling in gasping breaths.  
The way she had unsettled Zim was priceless, of course, but she was still in the bouts of it. She lifted her gloves hand towards the water but couldn’t. She had met a block. Her PAK wouldn’t allow it, even if it was for the greater GOOD.

Her hand fell to the cool stone beside the small body of water.  
“H-had to... clean, it’s, fine.” Tenn sighed. She felt drained and exhausted. She needed a rest, but she didn’t know if she trusted Zim...

She argued with herself for a moment before coming to the conclusion that Zim wouldn’t do anything, because she was his way off of the planet. And he couldn’t even leave the cave without either the weather killing him, or whatever that THING had been.

Zim listened to the invader. Yes, they were definitely deranged. Cleaning a wound with... WATER...

Something about that piece of trivia about water tickled something in his mind, but memories of pain associated with water washed them away with a shudder.

Tenn found herself closing her eyes. She wouldn’t say anything else to Zim, he didn’t deserve an explanation. And there were no directions to give him. If he left he would die, or maybe he would live if she slept long enough, but inevitably, he would perish. Only SHE knew where HER ship was, after all.  
She fell into a light sleep, which was gentle and soothing and a good break from all the stresses brought on in the previous week, which had to have been the worst in her entire life of over two hundred years. 

Zim instantly noticed the newfound stillness of the space, the sounds of gentle breathing, and diluted blood. He stuck his tongue out at that and gave a little retch before deciding to move further away.

Equal distance from the exit, and where Tenn had decided to take a snooze, Zim leaned against the wall, keeping himself alert by listing all the ways he would be rewarded by his Tallest for killing the rogue invader. His superior senses would keep HIM safe. 

If there were a beasty for any reason, he would simply lead them back to Tenn and... That would be that. He snickered softly, barely above a whisper. And so he kept watch, unwillingly keeping both of the Irkens safe.


	2. Chapter 2

Tenn awoke to a searing pain on the top of her head. Her body tensed and she instantly jerked upwards, sitting up. The dark cavern walls spun around her at this as her claws raced up to her head to find the source of the pain- A drop of water.

Tenn gave her surroundings a frightful look, still feeling her breath catching in her throat from how anxious she felt. With precision, quickness, Tenn gripped the ends of her antennae and squeezed until a light buzzing filled her head. The invader could slowly calm herself and let go of the slightly painful grip on her feelers. 

She hadn’t realized she had closed her eyes until she opened them again and noticed the stream beside her. And then the pain was starting to settle back in like snow in a globe. Tenn instinctively pulled herself about a foot further away from it, the searing in her midsection reminding her of what she had done. Well, not exactly what she had done. What that BEAST had made her do..  
Just the thought of it spurred the pain into flaring. Tenn winced and clutched at the cloth near the wound, closing her eyes tightly and bearing it. She could almost imagine that greeny, goopy poison squirming and festering in the-. Tenn stopped that train of thought before it could get any further. This was no time to get distracted.  
It was cold. She let out a breath before forcing herself to her feet. Though she still couldn’t go without leaning against the cave wall, she braved her way to the sort of normal entranceway into the main part of the cave, supposedly where Zim would be. 

Tenn strained her eyes for any light. Nothing... Did that mean it was nighttime? Along with the low light, which she could still mostly see through thanks to being an invader with perfect eyesight, there was... no one here.   
She could feel her guts sinking in her as she tried to figure out just what that meant... The implications of it were horrifying. Did that defective, wannabe invader leave WITHOUT her? Oh what a fool. Her vision was still spinning slightly, and the searing pain from that horrifying creature’s toxins was still present, if not stronger than ever.   
But Tenn was an invader, she could work through this with EASE and elegance.

“Oh Irk... walking stick... walking stick..” She glanced around the cavern with a grumble. Oh, what an embarrassing thing. To depend on such a thin piece of wood. 

After a few moments, thankfully, Tenn found it. She sighed as she leaned a bit more weight onto it than intended. The wood bent slightly and she eased up with a wince.

Easy does it... At least the chill in the air was making it more bearable. As Tenn stepped outside, she found it to be slightly warmer. _Slightly_. She sighed as she scanned her surroundings for both Zim, and the snarly thing that had given her this wound across her midsection. 

“Zim..?” She asked lowly, with hopelessness growing in her voice. It was instinctive in all Irkens, fear of the wilderness, fear of it at night specifically. With all the beasties...

Tenn sighed and oriented herself with the direction they had originally been traveling in, then began the painful trek as she tried to convince herself of her false safety.   
Each uneven step she took sent a jolt up through her wound and ended with making her antennae shudder. Tenn hoped that she was awarded some time off for her eventual capture of Zim... Vacatia was great this time of year, she had heard. 

The invader grit her teeth together with each grueling stumble through the darkness, feeling a low growl of frustration building in her throat. She couldn’t help it. How dare that lousy defective leave her alone, surely to steal her ship. Like he could fly it! The controls were locked to her INVADER ID!

What an idiot...

Walking through the cold night with nothing but an unreliable stick was not the best experience Tenn had ever had. In fact, it was quickly approaching the bottom of her list. A particularly strong gust of wind caused her to stagger. It felt like daggers, or maybe even pieces of glass being blasted into her wound by how cold it was.

The invader wearily looked ahead, hand trembling slightly on the top of the stick, which was readying itself to snap in two in her hands. Tenn hoped that it did not. 

As Tenn approached the top of the hill she was currently traversing, her antennae suddenly perked. She stopped ridgid in her tracks, focusing on her sense of hearing.  
...  
Where, where was it coming from? Her head swiveled around as a longer sound rang out. A rock falling. Probably from the hillside below. But what was most alarming was that erosive scent. And the faint growl, and the fearful breathing. 

How had it taken her so long to notice?!  
Tenn quickly lowered herself to lie on her belly against the hillside, risking a look over and down.  
The sight was nauseating. A sheer cliff down, with a beast lurking below. Deep red eyes and flint tinted fangs lurked in the darkness below. _It’s den._

Of course, of course of course. How had she not seen it before? The pain must have been affecting her more than she thought. She should have heard this situation from heard this from ten peekils away. But she did not.  
Tenn took in the situation lurking below. Ex-Invader Zim, clinging for dear life to the rockface, with a now awakened creature lurking below. She let out a shaky breath.

Zim immediately shot a glance upwards at her.  
His lips curled in a snarl. “What are you waiting for?! Pull me up!” He hissed. 

She. She could. Technically...

Her expression shifted to something more blank, perhaps... A flash of anger crossed her features and her antennae shot back from their upright position. 

“No.”

“WHAT?!” He bellowed and shrieked.

The beast below bared its teeth and began scaling the rocks, digging in its claws, uncaring of the cascades of debris this sent scattering down. Zim looked to it before looking up at Tenn.  
“As an invader, I DEMAND that you help me.” 

Tenn stared.

Tenn could remember exactly how she had gotten into this situation. She had been flying through the stars and cosmos, on her way towards her assigned planet. Meekrob. She was to capture it, it would be easy. 

The invader with bright eyes and a bright future smiled to her very own SIR unit, codenamed Ace, patting its head. These little robotic companions were standard invader issue. Meant to provide information through scouting and scans, utility in battle and the field, and, though a reluctant edition, comfort for longer missions. As Irkens were social creatures, and the invader protocol went against this, it was to help them from essentially going insane. AWOL.

Tenn smiled at the thought and kicked back as she let autopilot follow the marked course. She would just have to oversee and ensure that the engine readings stayed at optimal levels, and that the ship did not collide with any space junk or debris.

Maybe she could have a snack... “Ace, list my rations please.”

Though the PAK could make ration energy stretch out for weeks, or even months if one shut themself down for a certain amount of time, a good amount of rations was a reassuring thing to have. If the mission would require a long state of dormancy, or if something went wrong. She would have plenty of energy providing nutrients, in the given situation that the hostile planet didn’t have any. 

“Rations: 3 cases of nutrient blocks (gruffle berry), 1 box of red roll-ups and 3 boxes of sugar shredders. Enough rations for up to 5 IRKEN years.”  
Tenn nodded. Her snacks were safe then... and she could afford to eat one, yes. In celebration of all of her hard work. “Fetch me a red roll-up.” She commanded. Ace complied and brought her one of the requested snacks

The invader opened up the purple wrapping and unrolled the snack within, beginning to chew on the sweet, leather-like substance. It was very sweet, with a hint of sour. It was Tenn’s favorite snack, and now that she was out of the academy, she could have it whenever she pleased...

This roll up would take her a bit to eat, so she resumed her relaxed position with her treat, staring out to the stars.   
While the ship was small, it was cozy. Just enough room for all the essentials, which were basically already shrunk down versions of the commercially available products (with added utility), and a bit more room to stretch.  
It was just her, and Ace.  
And the Irken hurtling towards her ship from Irk knows where. The invader jerked up in her seat as proximity warnings began blaring.

An explosion filled her hearing with ringing and she righted herself more, grabbing the manual controls. Nope, then engine had... Exploded?! How!?

“HOSTILE DETECTED - IRKEN TECHNOLOGY.”  
Her eyes widened at this. How? What? Had her new ship just been _shot_???

The next moment something slammed into the front glass of the ship. Tenn blinked as she stared at a glaring Irken. You would have to be an idiot to not recognize the form of Zim. He was holding a laser blaster in one hand and he didn’t look very happy.   
But neither did Tenn.


End file.
